Barstool Sports founder, and well-known high-roller, Dave Portnoy dropped a $100,000 wager on the Las Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup.
Portnoy revealed his six-figure wager, placed at DraftKings Sportsbook, in a post shared to his X account on Sunday.
Key Takeaways
- The Golden Knights already took Game 1 in their second-round series.
- Odds now give the Knights a 15.4% implied chance to win the Stanley Cup.
- Portnoy has recently won and lost five- and six-figure bets in multiple sports
Portnoy’s ostentatious wager supported a Golden Knights team that was third in odds to win the Stanley Cup at DraftKings.
His $100,000 ticket, placed at +650 odds, would pay $750,000 if the Golden Knights win their franchise’s second NHL championship and first since the 2022-23 season.
“Davey Pucks Activated,” Portnoy succinctly wrote in a post sharing his bet.
Davey Pucks Activated. #dkpartner pic.twitter.com/0FEgl3LV3p
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) May 3, 2026
The Knights showed support for Portnoy under an original post confirming that center William Karlsson would return for Game 1 of the team’s second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night. Karlsson had missed six months of action after he suffered a lower-body injury against the same Ducks team in early November.
After Portnoy responded with the “eyes emoji” that reflected his interest in the news, the Golden Knights posted a picture of an “El Presidente” jersey.
Portnoy, whose X account is @stoolpresidente, goes by the “El Presidente” nickname that translates to “The President” of Barstool.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account👀 https://t.co/Mxwk9tslZT pic.twitter.com/IziBjHCMHt
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 5, 2026
Golden Knights close in on the leaders
The Golden Knights were only fourth in the Western Conference and 13th in the NHL in the regular-season standings. However, they find themselves on a four-game winning streak and with a 1-0 advantage in the second round.
Monday’s opening gambit saw the Golden Knights emerge with a 3-1 victory with goals from Mitch Marner, Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden. The series will continue at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday evening.
The win kept the Golden Knights third in Stanley Cup odds, although they shortened to +550. They now have a 15.4% implied chance to win the championship, up from the 13.3% chance they had when Portnoy submitted his ticket.
Vegas is also -350 (77.8% chance) to win the ongoing series. They’d face the winner of the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild, in which the Avalanche hold a 2-0 lead and is a -900 series favorite.
The Avalanche are also the favorite to win the Stanley Cup at +155 (39.2% chance). The Carolina Hurricanes, who are up 2-0 over the Philadelphia Flyers, are close behind at +180 (35.7% chance).
Portnoy’s big wins… and big losses
Portnoy is no stranger to large risks and massive payouts. He recently won $2.8 million from a $600,000 wager when UConn won the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He also took home $1.7 million from a $300,000 wager on Scottie Scheffler to win the 2024 Masters.
That said, he also had his share of losses. He recently missed out on $1.8 million after betting $50,000 on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl and $1.4 million from a $200,000 bet on the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series.
